All for Love
by Twilight66
Summary: James Potter has been in love with Lily Evans since the day he met her. Now, at the end of their sixth year, she still won't return the feeling. As Voldemort rises, new skills are developed, loyalties are tested, and Lily finds herself relying on James
1. Around the Lake

James Potter has been in love with Lily Evans since the day he met her. Now, at the end of their sixth year, she still won't return the feeling. As Voldemort rises, new skills are developed, loyalties are tested, and Lily finds herself relying on James more than she would like. Story will continue until their deaths.  
  
Chapter One: Around the Lake  
  
"Oh...that... James Potter. He is... such a ...prat!" Lily Evans fumed, hardly able to put a coherent sentence together. Her green eyes flashed fiercely. "I wish he would leave me alone!"   
  
Lily flung herself down on the bank of the lake with a flourish of wildly red hair. Her best friend Aurelia watched her with an amused smirk. Lily had violently crossed her arms and her chest was heaving as she tried to regain her calm. Lily had just shouted down James Potter for harassing Severus Snape. As usual, Potter had turned this into an opportunity to proposition Lily. She always overreacted to these advances, making it clear to Potter that she was not interested. There had been many of these confrontations over the six years the girls had spent at Hogwarts.   
  
"I don't see why you're so upset with James, Lil, I'd be a lot more upset with Snape calling you a mudblood. At least James defended you!" Aurelia replied. She flipped her blonde hair over one shoulder and sat down next to Lily, her sparkling blue eyes staring at the ripples in the lake. Being a pureblood wizard, Aurelia was always sensitive about this criticism of her friend. Aurelia was a quiet, sensitive girl with a fierce loyalty to all her loved ones and a compassionate nature. As a result, she was frequently sought out by most of Gryffindor House, as well as a good number of boys and girls from other houses, when someone was in need of comfort. Aurelia's tall, thin figure, blonde hair and heart shaped face also caused her to be considered the most beautiful girl in the seventh year.   
  
Lily visibly winced at the reminder of being called a mudblood, but instead chose to focus on Potter, and snarled, "I am used to that, but the way Potter is always trying to show off - he doesn't want to defend me, just impress his ridiculous fan club- it really frosts my cookies."  
  
"Frosts your cookies?" Aurelia laughed. "Where did that come from?"  
  
"From my own mind. Why, you don't like it?" Lily asked, starting to giggle. "I think its gonna catch on!"  
  
"You know you're letting him get to you, right?" Aurelia asked seriously after a moment of giggling. "Is that what you want?" Aurelia, always a supportive friend, hid her true feelings when it came to discussing James Potter with Lily. She couldn't help wondering what really caused Lily to hate Potter so much. She had never found any of his actions offensive enough to merit the amount of hatred Lily poured out on James whenever he came near. Perhaps Lily's anger masked something else she was feeling. Aurelia didn't know what to think of the situation, but was determined to be supportive of Lily.  
  
"Of course I don't want to let him get to me," Lily dismissed the comment. "Let's go back up. We should enjoy our last day at Hogwarts."  
  
Aurelia nodded her blonde head in agreement, relieved that Lily had recovered from the encounter relatively quickly this time. She loved her best friend, but it was a bit tiring constantly cleaning up the mess made by James Potter. She wished Lily would learn to stop losing her temper.  
  
As they walked slowly back to the castle, Lily silently thought back on the event that had just taken place. Once again, the Marauders had been harassing Severus Snape, which was behavior she found absolutely abhorrent. However, she couldn't deny that Snape's ungrateful attitude made her wish she did not defend him. At least James Potter didn't call her a mudblood. 'He's just as bad, though, showing off for the crowds of girls that always surround him,' she reminded herself. Pushing thoughts of James Potter out of her mind, Lily forced herself to smile, determined to enjoy her last day at Hogwarts before a long and painful summer with her sister, Petunia.  
  
:::::::::::::::  
  
James Potter, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, generally accepted as the smartest guy in every class, and the informal leader of the Marauders, was standing under the birch tree near the lake running his hand unconsciously through his thick black hair. He was vaguely listening to his fellow Marauder, Sirius Black, describe his next plan for retaliation against Severus Snape, but his gaze was intensely focused on the fiery redhead making her way back to the Hogwarts Castle with her tall friend. He had asked her out again, even willing to trade the amusement of harassing Snape for her acceptance, but to no avail. She always turned him down. James didn't understand why this one stubborn girl wouldn't give him the time of day. All the other girls fell all over themselves to shower attention on handsome, well-built James Potter, but not Lily Evans. All he ever got from her were insults and dirty looks.   
  
"James. James! JAMES!" Sirius said, a look of annoyance shooting through his deep brown eyes.  
  
"Huh? What?" James said, coming out of his reverie.  
  
"Um, heeellllloooo! We, your loyal friends, were just sitting here planning retaliation against that prig Snivillus - on your behalf, I might add - while YOU were staring off into space and ignoring our noble efforts." Sirius said with a laugh like a bark. He gave James a friendly slap on the back, and then followed his gaze up to the castle doors, where a bright red head was just disappearing. "Oh, I see... you gotta let it go, mate. That girl isn't interested."  
  
James' other friends, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, chuckled knowingly. James had spent all six years at Hogwarts trying to attract Lily Evans. He watched her during class, followed her in the halls, and had even taken to scanning every room he entered, just to see if she was there. Unfortunately, James' method of attracting women was to show off. This led to some ridiculous habits, such as rubbing his hair to look like he just finished playing Quidditch, fidgeting with the Golden Snitch he kept in his pocket, and pulling pranks on other students. Immature, perhaps, but his method did seem to be fairly effective. These attempts had obviously not impressed Lily Evans, but they had gained James a large following of Hogwarts girls hoping to be lucky enough to spend some time alone with him. And most of them had at some point. Remus Lupin, by far the most astute of James' friends, secretly felt that James hid his feelings for Lily Evans by experimenting with any other girl he found convenient at the time.   
  
"Leave him alone, Padfoot, he can't help it," Remus said, looking up from the book he had been reading while lounging by the lake.  
  
"Yeah, a little rejection is good for his over-inflated ego," Peter said, viciously. "Ju-just joking," he whimpered, when he saw the horrified looks on his friends faces.   
  
"It's been six years Prongs, give it up! What about that Leona Whipple? She's been hanging around a lot lately. Maybe she could help you get your mind off Evans, if you know what I mean," Sirius said, eyebrows wiggling.   
  
"Yeah, I know." James replied, in a defeated voice, clearly not taking the time to understand Sirius' suggestion. "There are always girls hanging around. Mindless gits, all of them." James flopped to the ground next to Remus as he said this, his hazel eyes lazily scanning the surface of the water.   
  
"You talk to her, Moony. Why won't she give me a chance?"  
  
"James, I am not getting involved in this thing between you and Lily," Remus replied. "If you want to know why, ask her humbly, without your usual sarcasm, and be honestly prepared to listen to her answer."  
  
Sirius and Peter laughed uncontrollably at this. James cracked a smile, and even Remus smirked at how silly he sounded.  
  
"Moony, you crack me up," Sirius said, bending down to pat Remus on the back affectionately.  
  
:::::::::::::::  
  
With a bang of the heavy door, a tall, gangly boy with black, stringy hair threw himself on his bed in the Slytherin dungeon of Hogwarts Castle. Severus Snape did not bother to see if any of his roommates were there. The boy let out a low growl of frustration, and punched his pillow viciously. Lily Evans was not the only person at Hogwarts infuriated by the behavior of James Potter.   
  
'I am so sick of that egotistical, pompous idiot and his little group of mindless followers,' he thought to himself, as he stared at the ceiling of the cold impersonal chamber. 'Always making me look like an idiot, especially whenever Lily Evan is around. Playing with that stupid Snitch, trying to remind everyone how great he is.' Snape had loathed James Potter since their first year at Hogwarts. The two spent countless hours planning cruel schemes to inflict upon each other, and never missed the opportunity to hex one another in the hallway.   
  
'Everyone's attention is always focused on James Potter,' he though, unwilling to admit to himself that much of his hatred stemmed from jealousy at Potter, who was everything Snape wanted to be. 'At least Lily sees through him.'   
  
Serverus felt his anger seep away as he allowed his thoughts to drift to beautiful, enchanting Lily Evans. He didn't even care that she was a mudblood, although he would never admit that in public. He longed to give her the love and protection she deserved, despite the fact that she seemed perfectly capable of protecting herself. A slight smile played across his face as he remembered the way she had just defended him. It was quickly replaced with a frown however, as he felt recalled his feeling of shame at needing to be defended by Lily. 'Why did I lash out at HER like that? Oh, I'll get that James Potter someday.' 


	2. The Long Road Home

Chapter Two: The Long Road Home  
  
Lily awoke the next day to the feel of the warm summer sunshine streaming through the window onto her face. For a moment, she smiled at the wonderful feeling of being woken by the dawn. Then the realization came to her - today she had to go back to her muggle family for the summer. She repressed a groan and thought over all the hundreds of reasons that she wanted to stay at Hogwarts, her real home, for the summer. Knowing this wasn't possible, Lily sat up in bed and surveyed the room, thinking fondly of her roommates, who were all still sleeping soundly. Her eyes rested on Melissa, her other close friend at Hogwarts.   
  
Melissa, Aurelia and Lily had become fast friends on their first train ride to Hogwarts. Both Melissa and Lily were muggle-born, so they had peppered Aurelia with questions about the wizarding world. Melissa was the most positive person Lily had ever known. She always had a smile on her pretty face and had a very good sense of humor. She was accepting, caring, and spoke with obvious sincerity. She was also quite pretty, with wavy brown hair, deep brown eyes and a few freckles scattered over her small nose. However, she was hopelessly shy around anyone but her close friends, and as a result, was rarely noticed by the male population of Hogwarts.  
  
As if she could feel Lily's gaze, Melissa Ellis squirmed slightly, opened one brown eye slightly and let out a huge groan. Lily smiled at her friend.  
  
"Good morning sleepyhead."  
  
"I don't see what's so good about it this early. Go back to sleep," she mumbled, knowing that once Lily was up, there was absolutely no chance of talking her into going back to sleep. "Why are you such a morning person?"  
  
"I just can't help feeling happy with the sun beating down on my face and a whole new day ahead of me," Lily responded cheerily. "Although, today doesn't have much promise of being great."  
  
"Don't worry, we won't leave you there all summer, Lil," Melissa said sympathetically. Being close friends with Lily, Melissa understood her reluctance to spend the summer at home with her sister, Petunia.  
  
"Hey, let's not worry about that yet, okay?" said Lily, pulling her petite body out of bed. Melissa nodded and began to stretch. "They don't seem to want to get up," she said, looking around at Aurelia and their two other roommates, Samantha and Emily, who were all still cozily curled up under their comforters.   
  
"Wake up! It's a beautiful day!" Lily called to her other three roommates as she skipped to the bathroom, carrying her fluffy pink towel.  
  
:::::::::::::::  
  
When the five girls finally made their way down to the Great Hall, most of the school was already there enjoying their last Hogwarts meal before the long train ride back to London. The girls chatted happily about their summer plans, and Lily was surprised to realize that her mood was quite pleasant, despite the fact that she would have to see Petunia later.  
  
  
  
"Evans! Hey, Evans!" a deep voice called over the happy din in the great hall. Lily groaned, all good feelings rushing away.  
  
  
  
"Be nice, Lily." Aurelia chided quietly. "At least give him a chance." Sometimes Lily felt like Aurelia could actually read her mind, but of course, her reactions to James Potter were not that hard to predict. Lily looked as though she was going to give a nasty reply, but thought better of it and looked toward the voice.  
  
  
  
"What is it, Potter?" she said coolly, as they approached the Gryffindor table.  
  
  
  
"Well Evans, I know how much you struggle in Transfiguration, so I just thought I would offer to tutor you over the summer. You know...so you can keep up with the rest of the class next year," James said, with a wide grin and a twinkle in his eye.   
  
  
  
"What?!" Lily exclaimed, her head snapping up angrily. It was only after this reaction that she realized he was just trying to upset her. Everyone knew James was better than Lily at Transfiguration, in fact, it was the only subject in which he received higher grades than she did. But Lily was hardly in need of tutoring, she came in a close second, with a grade still well over 100%.   
  
Angry that she had responded, Lily held her head high, smiled condescendingly, and replied, "And why would I ruin the perfectly good, Potter-less summer that I have been so looking forward to? Besides, you're the one that needs to find a tutor." This wasn't true either, as James came in second, just behind Lily, in all other subjects. He wasn't exactly stupid.   
  
"Are you volunteering? When can we start?" James asked quickly, looking eager.  
  
"NO!" Lily snapped, as she moved towards her friends at the end of the table.  
  
"Oh, don't leave yet, Evans." James said, grabbing Lily's hand. Lily began to struggle to get free, noticing that several girls around the hall were giving her dirty looks. James thought it would be quite enjoyable to keep holding her hand, except for the fact that Lily didn't seem to appreciate it very much.  
  
"Potter, leave me alone," she grumbled, looking at Remus and Sirius for help.  
  
"Aw, let her go, mate," Lupin said, smiling at the situation. When James finally did, Lily scurried to the end of the table without a backwards glance.  
  
From their place at the teachers' table, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had been observing this exchange. McGonagall looked disapproving, but Dumbledore had a smirk on his face and there was laughter in his eyes.  
  
"Well, it seems some things never change, " McGonagall said severely.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure Professor," Dumbledore responded with a laugh. "I think we may see some changes in the year to come."  
  
"Speaking of next year, Dumbledore, we really should be choosing next year's Head Boy and Head Girl," McGonagall reminded him gently.  
  
"Yes, I suppose we must decide. Who have you been considering?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
McGonagall scanned the crowded room, and her eyes finally fell on the Gryffindor table. "I can think of no one who would fulfill the responsibilities of the job as effectively as Ms. Evans," she replied finally.  
  
Dumbledore nodded his agreement, "Yes. Ms. Evans is the most skilled and responsible. What about Head Boy?"  
  
"Patrick Johnson?" she replied doubtfully, looking over at the Ravenclaw table. "Or perhaps Remus Lupin?"  
  
"No, both are good students and fine people, but neither is an effective leader. Next year, of all years, we must choose an effective leader. The two chosen for these positions will be leaders within the Order. We must choose someone who will inspire others to follow him to war against Voldemort."  
  
McGonagall flinched slightly at the mention of Voldemort, but nodded and began to scan the room again. She suspected that Dumbledore already had someone in mind, but she felt she should come to her own decision before she asked. As she considered each sixth year student carefully, a horrible suspicion crept into her mind. It grew stronger, until she knew she was correct.   
  
"Oh, Albus, must it be him?" she said, clearly exasperated. She held one hand on her face, and clutched the arm of Dumbledore's blue velvet robes with the other. "He will make life so difficult! All those pranks, what kind of example will that set for the younger students?"  
  
"Yes, there are the pranks, Minerva. But I suspect he will have very little time for pranks. The coming year is going to be difficult for all of us. Besides, I think you may be surprised at the way he will change when the occasion calls for it. And Minerva, the years to come will certainly call for it," Dumbledore sighed.  
  
"Of course, you're right, Dumbledore. James Potter will be the next Head Boy." It wasn't that Minerva McGonagall did not like James Potter. She even admitted to herself that the boy was downright charming. In fact, all of the Marauders were all charming, that was part of the problem. They were constantly using their highly developed skills of persuasion to worm their way out of trouble with the other teachers. Professor McGonagall was the only teacher at the school that had not yet become susceptible to their wiles. Yet. In spite of her strict regard for rules and regulations, she could not help but feel proud of the boys. Despite their utter lack of regard for the rules, they had shown some impressive magical talent over the years, mastering hexes, spells, potions and charms that even the most skilled graduate of Hogwarts would have difficulty with. With James Potter as Head Boy, she was definitely going to need to keep a close eye on the Marauders next year.  
  
She couldn't help but wonder how Lily Evans would respond to this decision. The thought made her start to laugh, an act very uncharacteristic of the strict Deputy Head Mistress.   
  
As if reading her mind, Dumbledore smiled and said, "Well, there's no need to worry that next year will be uneventful."  
  
:::::::::::::::  
  
Later, on the Hogwarts Express, Lily tried desperately to focus on a game of wizard's chess she was playing with Melissa. Unfortunately, her eyes kept glazing over as her thoughts drifted towards home and...Petunia.   
  
  
  
"Oh, forget it," she finally cried, wiping the pieces off the board. Muffled objections could be heard from the pieces where they lay on the floor of the train. "I'm going for a walk."  
  
  
  
Lily moved toward the compartment door, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. Melissa looked startled and a little hurt.  
  
  
  
Aurelia and Melissa looked at each other for a moment, and finally Aurelia said, "Let her go, Mel. You know how she gets when we have to go home. She'll cool off." She went back to reading her book, iI Know What You're Thinking/i by Melinda Howard.  
  
  
  
"What's your book about, Lia?" Melissa asked, moving back up onto one of the seats in the compartment.  
  
  
  
"Oh, nothing much," Aurelia responding, snapping the book closed and quickly putting it away.  
  
  
  
'Odd,' Melissa thought to herself.  
  
In the hallway, Lily was aimlessly wandering. She knew she had been harsh to her friends, but it was always so difficult to go home and be in the same house as her sister, who hated her so much. Petunia had refused to acknowledge Lily as her sister ever since Lily received her Hogwarts letter. However, this did not stop her from spending the better part of each summer flinging insults at Lily.  
  
Lily had already changed into her favorite muggle clothes, jeans and an emerald green fitted shirt that matched her eyes. She couldn't decide where to go, but she wasn't ready to see the looks of sympathy on her friends' faces, so she decided to go buy a snack from the elderly witch with the candy cart.   
  
As she wandered into the dining car, Lily noticed several Slytherins standing off to the side. She frowned to herself, wishing she hadn't been caught alone. Lily was used to being harassed by the Slytherins, but it was much less painful with friends around to support her. Most of the students in Slytherin found any excuse to harass students who came from muggle families, which they called "mudbloods." She felt his stare, but tried to ignore Snape as she leaned over to help a student who appeared to be on the receiving end of a purpurus feletis hex.  
  
Severus Snape watched Lily Evans walk into the room from where he stood with his fellow Slytherins Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who had all just graduated from Hogwarts. They were quietly discussing their plans to join the Death Eaters, a group of dark wizards who supported the rise of Lord Voldemort. Snape was hesitant to join, as he felt a great deal of loyalty to Dumbledore, who had become something of a father to him during his time at Hogwarts. However, he didn't want his fellow Slytherins to know about his hesitation. He had always tried to fit in with his house members, even if he didn't exactly think of them as friends. Besides, within the ranks of the Dark Lord, Snape would finally have the opportunity to be recognized for his brilliance in potions and find a use for his extensive knowledge of the dark arts.  
  
"There really is no way he can lose," Lucius Malfoy was saying happily, in his annoyingly nasally voice. "We can have a part in ridding the wizarding world of filthy mudbloods." Crabbe and Goyle agreed with grunts of stupidity. They always agreed with whatever Malfoy had to say.  
  
"Are you in, Snape?" Malfoy asked, turning his cold grey gaze on the smaller, darker boy.  
  
Snape didn't respond. He was looking thoughtfully at Lily Evans, who had stopped to help a first year remove the four large purple feathers that had sprouted from his head. 'Are all mudbloods bad?' he wondered. Lily was at the top of the class, clearly a skilled witch, and beautiful, charming, and kind as well. Snape continued to eye Lily, deciding whether or not he felt capable of killing her. She looked so beautiful and at ease. There was always a smile on her face. He felt as if he had been punched in the stomach just thinking about the possibility of a world without Lily Evans. 'No,' he decided. 'I could kill anyone else, but not Lily Evans.'  
  
"Would you look at that? What in the world is he staring at? I don't think I've ever seen Snape smile," Peter Pettigrew said, nudging his hero, James Potter. The Marauders had decided to talk a little walk, as the compartments just weren't big enough for the four overenthusiastic boys. James looked up at Snape, who had an evil looking smirk on his face. Following Snape's gaze, James saw the flaming red hair he knew so well. Sirius smacked Peter on the back of the head.   
  
  
  
"What's wrong with you? Think before you speak, man!" Sirius said, cringing. "Now he's gonna have to go defend her, and we're gonna have to help him, and we'll all have detention before school even starts next year!"  
  
  
  
Sirius knew his best friend well. James had already started across the room toward Snape.  
  
  
  
"I don't see any reason for you to be staring at Lily Evans, Snivillus," James said loudly, removing his wand from his pocket.  
  
  
  
"I don't see how that is any of your business, Potter," replied Snape icely, angry that he had been caught staring at Lily, especially by James Potter. He began to remove his wand from his robes as well.  
  
  
  
"I suggest you find someone else to fulfill your sick fantasies, Snivillus, Evans isn't available," James growled quietly, stepping closer. Snape could see his eyes flashing with hatred.  
  
  
  
The rest of the Marauders had spread out behind Potter's back with their wands out, clearly preparing to defend their friend against the group of Slytherins, who were arranging themselves in a similar fashion behind Snape. The other students in the crowded room sensed the tension and began to move toward the walls. This was a common enough occurrence for most students at Hogwarts to know the usual procedure. Nobody wanted to be in the way when the hexes started flying.   
  
  
  
Just as Snape was opening his mouth to hit Potter with the jelly-legs hex, a red head appeared between them and a loud, frustrated voice shouted, "STOP!"  
  
  
  
Both boys looked down at Lily, who was turning back and forth to make eye contact with both of them. Her face was red and her emerald eyes were flashing dangerously.  
  
  
  
"STOP! This is so stupid. Potter, I can take care of myself, I don't need you butting in. And Snape, I'd prefer if you kept your evil eye focused on someone else. Both of you leave now! I don't want to see anymore of this ridiculous behavior. Everyone go - NOW!" she shouted, as the boys looked from each other back to Lily.  
  
  
  
"Of course, Evans. Whatever you want," James said, lowering his wand. "But I do think you should be worried about the way this pervert was looking at you."  
  
  
  
"Potter, shut your trap, mind your own business, and head back to you own compartment," Lily responded, although she looked slightly less angry.  
  
"Just as soon as my good friends from Slytherin here do the same," he said with a false smile at Snape. "I wouldn't want them to have all the pleasure of your company."  
  
  
  
"You heard the mudblood Potter, run along," Snape heard himself saying. He tried not to watch the look of pain that flashed across Lily's face.  
  
  
  
James immediately lunged at him, but was held back by Sirius and Remus, who tried to calm their friend. After a few seconds of struggle, James nodded, relaxed and smiled smugly, "After you, Snivillus."  
  
  
  
Snape took one last glance at Lily's angry face and decided that nothing could be gained by continuing the confrontation. Besides, Crabbe and Goyle were no match for the Marauders. "Let's go," he said to his companions, and swept away sulkily.  
  
  
  
"Evans, I'm sorry," James said to Lily, with a concerned look as they both turned to go back to their compartments.   
  
  
  
"Look, Potter," she said with an edge in her voice, "I don't know why you have nominated yourself my official protector, but I expect you to mind your own business from now on. I am not interested in you or your assistance. Find another bimbo and leave me alone!"  
  
  
  
Lily stormed down the hallway and quickly returned to her compartment, leaving a stunned James Potter standing motionless in the hallway. She was shaking with rage, embarrassment and fear. She analyzed her actions, berating herself for being stupid enough to step between the two long-time enemies. She could have been hurt. After her fear ebbed away, Lily's embarrassment began to increase. That had been quite a scene, all over some guy looking at her. What was Potter playing at? Despite her dislike of his habit of intruding into her life, she couldn't help but feel grateful to Potter for his protectiveness. She still didn't like him, but at least he had stopped Snape's uncomfortable stare.  
  
  
  
Her friends were absolutely no help. "I think it's sweet," Melissa said when Lily told her and Aurelia about the events near the food cart.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, and at least he did what you asked this time. No requests for dates or anything," Aurelia smiled.   
  
  
  
"Oh, let's just forget it," Lily said, annoyed. Her thoughts turned back to her problems at home.  
  
:::::::::::::::  
  
When the Hogwarts Express finally arrived at the platform, Lily slowly dragged her trunk off the train and hugged both her friends goodbye.  
  
  
  
"Don't worry, Lil, I'll be sure to ask you out to my house this summer. We wouldn't leave you there forever!" Aurelia said, hugging Lily swiftly. She noticed that Lily was almost shaking.  
  
  
  
"Bye, Lil. I'll miss you!" Melissa said as she also gave Lily a hug.  
  
  
  
"Bye Lia, bye Mel. Thanks! I'll miss you a ton! Write a lot!" Lily said as she slowly moved away, looking through the crowd for her father. When she spotted him, she was happy to see that he was alone. She rushed to him and gave him a long hug.   
  
  
  
"I missed you, Dad."  
  
  
  
"I missed you, too - my Lily Flower. Sorry your sister couldn't make it. She is busy with her new boyfriend. I can't wait to hear all about the wonderful things you learned to do this year."  
  
  
  
Lily's dread disappeared instantly upon hearing that her sister would not be driving home with them. She smiled thinking happily of the drive home, where she was free to enjoy her beloved father without the interference of her malicious sister. 'At least this summer is starting off on the right foot,' she thought to herself as her father led her toward the car.  
  
James Potter stood in the doorway of the train, watching Lily leave her friends and greet her father. He could hear his own parents calling his name from somewhere in the crowd, but he could not bear to tear his eyes away from the fascinating redhead. He noticed, not for the first time, that Lily moved with grace and poise. When Lily was finally out of sight, he turned with a sigh to go find his own family. 'Another long Lily-less summer,' he thought to himself. 


	3. The Business Partner

Thanks to everyone that has reviewed so far! I would really appreciate some detailed reviews, since I want to write a novel some day and I am trying to improve my writing. Thanks so much for reading! Also, if anyone could email me with help, I can't figure out how to get things centered and italiced in this format. I have never put anything on the internet before. If I leave it as a Word document, then there are not paragraph spaces, but if I do text format, I can't get any of those other things. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!  
  
Chapter Three: The Business Partner  
  
Lily started the day the same as she had started all others that summer, drinking orange juice and eating toast while sitting on her mother's favorite swing in the backyard garden. This is where Lily came to feel close to her mother. Rose Evans died of stomach cancer during the summer between Lily's third and fourth years at Hogwarts. This bench had always been her favorite place to sit and think, regardless of the weather. Lily had joined her mother on the swing every morning that summer, and had continued this tradition after her mother's death. It had been very difficult to watch her once beautiful mother wither as the cancer ate away more and more of her body. Her glossy brown hair had turned dull and limp, her clear smooth skin had turned wrinkly and ashen, and her once sparkling green eyes, the same as Lily's own, had slowly lost their luster.   
  
  
  
Lily cherished the times she had spent with her mother on the garden bench, talking about school, friends, and her mother's memories of the past. Lily loved to hear the story of how her parents had fallen in love finally after going to school together all their lives. Lily sometimes wondered about her own future and if it included one of her current male classmates. Her mother had spent the last summer trying to provide her daughters with a lifetime's worth of advice and love.  
  
  
  
Lily's thoughts of her mother were interrupted by a massive brown barn owl landing noisily on the backrest of the swing. He waited patiently while Lily untied the Daily Prophet from his right leg and placed one knut in the bag around his other ankle. She offered him her toast crust, which he gladly accepted before flying away to continue deliveries.  
  
  
  
Lily hesitated before opening the paper to read the headlines. With He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gaining power throughout the wizarding world, there was rarely happy news anymore. Each day brought new names of those who had been attacked or killed by Death Eaters. Every morning Lily dreaded seeing the names of her friends, or fellow Gryffindors. So far, they had been safe. Most of the attacks were directed at muggleborns and their families, although attacks on Ministry officials, specifically the families of aurors, were increasing. Lily was very thankful that none of her friends had family members who were aurors.   
  
  
  
Lily forced away her fears, opened the paper, and began to read the front-page story.  
  
FAMOUS AUROR COUPLE MURDERED BY DEATH EATERS/center  
  
Last night, Jack and Abigail Cox, both twenty-two years old, were killed by Death Eaters in their home near Salisbury, England. Around midnight, witnesses saw bright lights flashing inside the house, presumably as the pair attempted to fight off their attackers. Judging from evidence at the scene, Ministry official say that Jack battled the Death Eaters alone for several minutes, attempting to give his wife time to flee with their daughter, before he was killed. Abigail was caught and murdered just moments before Ministry officials arrived to assist. The young couple, already renowned as skilled aurors, had assisted in the capture of at least seven known Death Eaters, and were apparently considered a threat by You-Know-Who. They leave behind a one-year-old daughter, who was saved by aurors that arrived at the scene. Events of this   
  
nature have increased...   
  
Lily continued to stare at the page, though her eyes stopped moving across the words. 'Twenty-two years old,' she thought. 'They should have had so much more time to live...to be together.' Lily was always saddened by the stories in the Daily Prophet, but for some reason, this story particularly affected her. She found herself feeling jealous at a couple that, despite the known risks of their chosen profession, had found the courage to love each other and start a family. She wondered how she would have felt in their position. It did not seem logical to form those kinds of attachments when the world was so unstable now. But then again... at least that had spent their time on Earth together. They must have truly enjoyed the time they had, and at least they had died together. This reminded Lily of something her mother had told her during their last conversation on the garden swing.  
  
  
  
"Always follow what your heart tells you, my lovely Lily," her mother had said. "You rely on logic to the point of excluding emotion. You must listen to your heart first, and then use common sense to guide your actions. Love is a powerful emotion that will help you accomplish many things you could not accomplish alone. Do not become less than your potential because you are afraid to love and trust others."  
  
  
  
Rose Evans knew her daughter well. Lily loved her friends and family, but she found it very difficult to get close to new people. She was always worried about what might happen to them, never wanting to get too attached. This fear, especially after her mother's death, had caused Lily to close herself off from new relationships. She was still popular and friendly, and intensely close with her father, Aurelia and Melissa, but only rarely was anyone outside those few able to glimpse the real Lily Evans. Despite her beauty and genuine kindness, Lily had never had a boyfriend, although not for lack of trying on the part of the male population of Hogwarts. She was simply too worried about what could happen if she became close to someone.  
  
  
  
But as Lily sat, thinking about the poor young couple and the advice her mother had given her, she realized that she wanted to change. She wanted to make friends with new people that she met. She wanted to learn to love someone enough that she was willing to ignore the precautions that logic would normally dictate for her to take. 'Yes,' Lily Evans decided to herself, 'this year I will take Mom's advice and listen to my heart.'   
  
  
  
Feeling better than she had all summer, Lily returned to the house.  
  
:::::::::::::::  
  
"Lily! Lily, where are you?" Lily heard her dad call out the upstairs window, just as she reached the back door.  
  
  
  
"Right here, Dad," she called in through the house.  
  
  
  
Lily heard her Harold Evans stumble down the stairs and catch himself on the banister. She giggled. Her father was kindhearted and funny, but he could be terribly clumsy.   
  
  
  
"Petunia's got great news, Lily Flower," he said as he came through the hall to the bright, sunlit kitchen where Lily was waiting. He was still trying to regain his balance. Lily smiled sincerely at her father. He was a very handsome man, with short brown hair and gentle brown eyes. Surprisingly, he had been a talented football player in high school, and still had his lean physique so many years later.   
  
  
  
Lily saw Petunia's bony, thin frame following demurely behind her father into the kitchen. She inwardly repressed a groan, wondering what silly announcement her sister was going to make this time. Her last "important" announcement had been that she intended to join the garden club at St. Mary's Academy, where she attended school until her recent graduation, in order to 'increase my marketability as a future housewife,' she had said. Lily had hardly found this earth shattering. Since graduation, Petunia had spent most of her time with her new boyfriend; porky, beady-eyed, sweaty Vernon Dursley. She couldn't stop talking about him, and Lily couldn't stop gagging about him.  
  
  
  
"What is it Petunia? Gonna join the cooking club?" Lily asked snottily. She new this would disappoint her father, but sometimes she just couldn't hide her contempt. She really wanted to like her sister, but it got harder every time she came home. Petunia just glared at her smugly.  
  
  
  
"Lily! That wasn't nice! Besides, this is much more important than that!" her father replied happily.   
  
  
  
"Yes, Lily. Vernon was just hired at Grunnings, a drill company, and as a result, he has asked me to marry him," she said, in her most superior voice.  
  
  
  
"Oh, so you'll be moving out soon. Well that's great!" Lily replied with a laugh. Luckily, her father was too happy to notice.  
  
  
  
Lily spent the next few minutes listening quietly to her father and Petunia making plans for the wedding. Lily eyed Petunia's engagement ring, which seemed pitifully undersized. She wasn't sure why her father was so excited. He didn't exactly hide the fact that he found Vernon Dursley's arrogance incredibly annoying. 'Maybe he's just happy to get rid of Petunia,' Lily thought, and laughed aloud.   
  
  
  
Harold and Petunia looked questioningly at Lily.   
  
  
  
"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," she said, getting up to leave.  
  
::::::::::::::::  
  
"Lily Flower?" her father's voice called through her bedroom door later that day. Lily closed her Charms book, rolled up the essay on advanced summoning charms she had been writing, and told her father to come in.  
  
  
  
"Henry, my business partner and his son are coming over for dinner tomorrow, Lily," he said, sitting down on her lavender bed, which was impeccably made. "Do you think you could whip up some of your amazing cooking for us?"  
  
  
  
Lily smiled. Ever since her mother died, Lily had become the unofficial woman of the house. She cooked, cleaned and gardened whenever she was home. It had started as a way to help her father deal with his grief, but eventually, she had grown to love her role in the family. She had become very close with her father and found comfort in the fact that he relied on her.  
  
  
  
"Of course, Dad. What would you like?" she answered happily.  
  
  
  
"Oh, anything you want. Just make sure its edible," he said.  
  
  
  
"Okay, so I won't let Petunia help," Lily joked.  
  
  
  
Her father smiled. "You know, Henry's son is about your age. Maybe you two will hit it off. It would be great if you married the son of my closest business partner" he said hopefully.   
  
  
  
"Dad, why are you always trying to marry me off?" Lily asked with a laugh. "I'm still pretty young to be worrying about that kind of stuff."  
  
  
  
"Well, I won't be around forever. I want to know that both of my daughters will be taken care of. I might not like that Vernon Dursley much, but at least he will provide for Petunia. Now we just have to find someone for you."  
  
  
  
Lily laughed. She knew that her mother's premature death had left her father feeling very vulnerable about his own life. She appreciated his concern, but experience told her to steer clear of anyone her father tried to foist on her.  
  
  
  
"Dad, the last guy brought his own silverware to the restaurant and drank his soup with a straw," she said, giggling at the memory of her worst date ever.  
  
  
  
"Well, you don't have to date this one. Just give him a chance. Besides, his mother died this summer, so he could probably use a little sympathy," Harold responded, getting up to leave. "Thank you, Lily. For everything."  
  
  
  
Harold smiled down at his youngest daughter affectionately. He knew she wasn't really angry about the dates that he had sent her on, and reflecting back, he decided he really hadn't done a very good job of choosing a boy with enough substance for his multifaceted daughter. Maybe this one would be different.  
  
:::::::::::::::  
  
Lily spent most of the next day preparing for the dinner party. She cleaned, vacuumed, dusted, and of course, cooked. She had made her favorite chicken with potatoes, salad and fresh baked bread. For dessert, she made an individual vanilla custard for each person. Petunia was preoccupied with planning her wedding, meaning that Lily had been free to enthusiastically participate in all domestic pursuits without her bothersome interference. Lily was humming softly to herself and wiping off the already spotless kitchen counter when her father shooed her up to her room to get ready.  
  
  
  
Lily took a quick shower and put on her new green sundress. After she dried her hair, grumbling at the slowness of using the muggle method, she looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. 'Not bad,' she thought, smiling. She played with her flaming red hair, her favorite part of her appearance, and finally decided to leave it down. Lily's mood was so cheery that she was even looking forward to meeting Harry's son. She felt hopeful that this boy would actually be interesting. 'Who knows. This could actually be a fun night,' she thought as she skipped out of her room.  
  
  
  
Just as Lily was bouncing down the stairs, the doorbell rang. She stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath to prepare for her role as hostess, and opened the door with a wide smile on her face.   
  
  
  
She was about to say hello to her father's friend, when she glanced at his son and saw a disturbingly familiar head of messy black hair. As their eyes locked, her mouth fell open and her greeting was completely forgotten.  
  
  
  
"Potter!?" 


	4. Petunia Snubbed

Chapter Four: Petunia Snubbed  
  
"Evans!" James Potter exclaimed, clearly delighted. A huge grin developed on his face, "Fancy meeting you here!"  
  
  
  
Lily groaned loudly, but recovered herself quickly when she saw James' father. He was glancing back and forth between James and Lily, looking very confused.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry sir. Come on in, you must be Henry. My dad's business partner?" Lily said questioningly, opening the door to allow them into the entryway. "I'm Lily Evans." 'WHY is HE here?' she was screaming in her mind, but Lily still wanted to be a polite hostess.  
  
  
  
"Henry Potter. Lovely to meet you Lily," the older man said. He had a rich, deep voice that made Lily like him immediately. Upon inspection, Lily noticed that James bore a striking resemblance to his father, although Henry Potter seemed much less conceited than his son. He shook Lily's hand and gave her a pleasant smile. "I see that you two have already met. How do-"  
  
His question was cut off by Harold Evans, who had just arrived in the entryway.   
  
"Ahh. Henry! Good to see you again!" he said, shaking Henry's hand.  
  
  
  
"Harold," James' father nodded. "It seems our children are already acquainted."  
  
  
  
Both men looked at their children with interested faces. Lily was too horrified to speak, so James spoke up.  
  
  
  
"Yes, Father. We go to school together."  
  
  
  
As both fathers realized the significance of that statement, they began to laugh.  
  
  
  
"Well, it seems we have more in common than we were willing to admit, Harold," James' father said.  
  
  
  
"I guess so," Harold responded happily. "Well, Lily Flower, we'll leave you two to catch up."  
  
  
  
With that he led Henry into the living room, leaving Lily and James standing awkwardly in the entry. Lily shot James a look of pure loathing and saw that he was admiring her with a surprisingly vacant expression. She couldn't help but notice that he looked very toned in the tight blue shirt he was wearing, and that he was as attractive as ever. But then she reminded herself of all the humiliating experiences he had caused her over the years and suddenly she was angry again.  
  
  
  
"So Evans, have a good summer so far?" James asked in a surprisingly humble tone after a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence.  
  
  
  
"What do you care, Potter?" she responded coldly.   
  
  
  
"Hey, don't get your knickers in a twist. I was just trying to be friendly, Evans," he said, holding both hands in the air in a gesture of innocence. His hazel eyes were sparkling, and he had an annoyingly huge grin plastered across his face.  
  
  
  
"Did you know about this?" Lily heard herself ask, eyes narrowing.  
  
  
  
"Nope," he said honestly. "I definitely would have taken advantage of it before this if I had known."  
  
  
  
"Funny, Potter. Look, I don't see any reason why we need to talk to each other. I mean, our dads will do most of the talking. So you just leave me alone, I'll just leave you alone, and when you leave, we can pretend that this whole disaster never happened," she said, avoiding his gaze.  
  
  
  
James looked a little hurt, but said, "Fine Evans, whatever you want."  
  
  
  
Lily was very surprised that he didn't try to argue with her. That was very unlike Potter. She didn't have time to dwell on it however, because at that moment Petunia came shuffling down the stairs wearing a ridiculously frilly pink cocktail dress.  
  
  
  
"Well, well. Who's this?" she asked, eyeing James with interest. "He looks a little out of your league, freak."  
  
  
  
James looked shocked, but Lily shook her head slightly, silently begging him to ignore Petunia's comments. "He's not here for me - this is dad's business partner's son, James Potter. Potter, this is my sister Petunia." Lily tried to keep the venom in her voice to a minimum when she said the word 'sister.'   
  
  
  
James smiled at Petunia, inwardly smirking as he noticed that Lily definitely had all the looks in the family. Petunia's eyes lit up, and she immediately shifted into what Lily liked to call "flirt mode." She patted her hair, pushed out her chest, and gave James what she clearly assumed was a seductive smile. Petunia might be engaged, but that certainly wouldn't stop her from having a little fun with an attractive chap like James Potter.   
  
  
  
Lily laughed as Petunia linked her arm through James' and led him into the living room. She wondered what Petunia would do when she found out that James is just as much a "freak" as Lily. She considered bringing up Hogwarts, just to see Petunia's reaction, but decided against it. At least this way, Potter wouldn't have the opportunity to harass her. Lily was very confused, however, as to why Potter was here at all. He came from a pureblood wizard family. Why was his father in business with a muggle? Why didn't anyone figure out the connection between their families? Lily suppressed another groan of frustration and pushed these thoughts out of her mind. 'Just focus on damage control, Evans,' she told herself.   
  
  
  
Lily busied herself in the kitchen with last minute preparations for dinner while Petunia, James and both adults sat in the living room talking quietly. Lily could hear Petunia chattering away happily to James, despite the fact that he didn't seem to be paying her the slightest attention. In fact, Lily could feel his eyes following her around as she brought everyone drinks, and even his father noticed his indifferent responses to Petunia's questions.  
  
  
  
"James, are you okay?" he asked in a concerned voice.  
  
  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm okay," James said quietly, his eyes drifting to Lily, who had just brought his father a drink. Henry Potter smiled knowingly, following his son's gaze.   
  
Petunia observed this exchange grimly. James' indifference to her, and obvious adoration of Lily had not gone unnoticed by Petunia. She decided it was time to bring up a topic that would gain the attention of this Potter boy. Suddenly, Petunia asked James, "So, where's your mom?"  
  
Lily gasped as she whirled around and snarled, "Petunia!" She might not like Potter very much, but she was appalled by her sister's serious lack of manners. Petunia looked up at Lily with feigned innocence pouring out of her murky brown eyes.   
  
"Yes, freak? What is it?" she replied quietly, so her father wouldn't hear. When Lily didn't answer, she turned on the couch to face James better.   
  
"Lily? Petunia? Is everything alright?" Harold asked from the corner where he was talking with Henry. They had both looked over when they heard Lily gasp.  
  
"Oh, um, it's nothing Dad. Dinner will be ready in a minute," Lily said, slowly looking at James, who was looking pale and grim. As they made eye contact, she could see the anguish in his eyes, and quickly added, "Potter, why don't you come help me?"  
  
James gave her a grateful smile and whispered, "Thanks," as he followed her into the kitchen.  
  
:::::::::::::::  
  
As James followed Lily into the kitchen, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. He was definitely not expecting anyone to ask about his mother and he had discovered that he was not ready to answer questions about her death. He had barely been able to talk to the other Marauders about it. James was quite surprised with the audacity of Lily's sister.  
  
He pushed thoughts of Eleanor Potter out of his mind and instead focused on helping Lily. He couldn't believe his luck! His heart had almost stopped when she had opened the door, looking even more beautiful than he remembered. It had been a long summer for James, and he had found himself thinking of Lily more and more. Thinking of Lily always made him feel better; after his mother died, she was the only thought that could make him smile and release the vice grip that constantly restricted his breathing. Not that James had any intention of telling Lily about his thoughts. She was already disgusted by all of his advances, and telling her that he thought he was in lo... that he liked her certainly wouldn't help the situation. Their seventh year at Hogwarts was approaching, and James was determined that this year, he would work tirelessly to win her affection before she was gone from his life forever. And now the perfect opportunity had presented itself!  
  
  
  
When everything was ready and the group was sitting down to dinner, Petunia pulled a chair up next to her at the table and gave James a sickening smile.  
  
  
  
"You can sit here, next to me, James."  
  
  
  
James glanced at Lily, pleading with her to intervene, but Lily just gave him a wicked smile and sat down across the table. James was disappointed, but quietly took his place next to Petunia.  
  
  
  
James let his mind wander as the two men discussed their business and the girls ate silently. He found himself gazing across the table at Lily, watching her eat. He knew that he was staring, but he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from her. It wasn't just that she was beautiful. There was something else about Lily that James couldn't explain. Lily always exuded gentleness, intelligence, integrity, and loyalty. Just being around her made James want to change; to be better somehow.   
  
  
  
Suddenly, James was dragged back to reality by Petunia's hand, which she had planted on his thigh beneath the table. James gasped and jerked away, drawing the attention of everyone at the table.  
  
  
  
"James?" his father questioned.  
  
  
  
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking," James muttered, turning very red. He saw Lily smirk across the table. He suspected that she knew why he had jumped. When the conversation had resumed, he brushed Petunia's hand off his leg without looking at her and subtly scooted his chair away from her. James took a deep breath, hoping to reduce the redness of his face, and focused back in on the conversation.  
  
  
  
"Lily, you are an excellent cook," his dad was saying. "It's been a long time since James and I have had a home cooked meal." Lily smiled at his father, although James noticed she looked a little embarrassed.  
  
  
  
"Yeah, Evans! Where did you learn to cook like this? They certainly don't teach this at Hogwarts," James added.  
  
  
  
"My mother taught me," Lily said quietly, looking down at her plate. As she said this, James heard Petunia draw in her breath sharply and huff loudly.   
  
  
  
"You know about that - that school?" Petunia asked, pulling on James' arm, forcing him to face her.  
  
  
  
"Well, of course I do, I go to school with your sister," James said, looking baffled.   
  
  
  
Petunia jerked her hand off James' arm, a look of absolute revulsion on her bony crimson face. She didn't say anything else, but James saw her glare at Lily across the table.  
  
  
  
"I can't believe that our children have gone to school together all these years, and we have never realized it," Henry Potter was saying with a little chuckle. "Why didn't you ever mention it?"  
  
  
  
"Well, we are all muggles, except Lily, of course. I don't really talk about it because most people think I'm crazy," Harold answered, laughing. "What about you? How in the world did I miss the fact that you are a wizard?"  
  
  
  
Henry shifted uncomfortably and James stared intently at his father, waiting to see what his response would be. Would he tell the Evans' his real reason for keeping his powers secret?  
  
  
  
"Uh, well, you know, we can't really go around telling muggles about wizards and things. I don't really discuss it at work."  
  
  
  
James could tell by the look on Lily's face that she was suspicious of this excuse. She would know that the Potters, as a pureblood wizarding family, would have enough connections to easily find out that the Evans family had produced a muggleborn wizard. Their fathers had been working together long enough, and the wizarding world is small enough that someone should have made this connection long ago.   
  
  
  
Harold Evans noticed that this line of questioning was making both his guests uncomfortable, so he prudently decided to drop the subject.   
  
"Well, at least we know that we are both able to keep a secret," Harold said, laughing. "Lily just received news last week that she will be the next Head Girl at Hogwarts," he continued, grinning proudly at Lily, who was again turning scarlet. James noticed that even with a face the same color as her hair she looked stunning.  
  
"Oh, wonderful! Congratulations, Evans. I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other this year," James said cheerfully. He was quite pleased with this situation and made a mental note to thank Dumbledore profusely upon his return to Hogwarts.  
  
"What do you mean, Potter?" Lily asked apprehensively.   
  
"Well, Evans, I also received a letter last week informing me of my new position as Head Boy," James answered smugly. He was grinning, though not for the reason that Lily would assume.  
  
"But you weren't a prefect," Lily protested. "Why would Dumbledore choose a Head Boy that wasn't even a prefect?"  
  
"I'm hurt, Evans. Didn't it occur to you that maybe he chose me because I am qualified, and the most skilled wizard in the class? More likely, Ms. I'm-A-Prefect-And-Top-Of-Every-Class, Dumbledore chose me to keep you from ruining all the fun all year. I mean, now you'll be working with someone tough enough to keep you from declaring every Saturday an official day of study," James responded.  
  
"Thanks for clearing that up, Potter. I just can't wait to work around that big head of yours all year," Lily said frostily, falling into old habits and forgetting the others in the room. James laughed aloud when Lily turned away and covered her face after noticing the other shocked faces sitting around the table.  
  
"Lily! That was totally uncalled for," her father said, in a shocked voice. Clearly he had never seen this side of his daughter.  
  
"Oh, no. I'm sorry Mr. Evans, it was my fault. Your daughter and I were just continuing the ...friendly relationship we have at school," James said, hesitating as he looked for words to describe his relationship with Lily Evans. He had to say something quickly though because Lily would never forgive him if he got her in trouble with her father; they were very close.  
  
Lily gave a snort. "Did I miss the friendly part of our relationship, Potter?" she grumbled.  
  
"Ms. Evans, I can see that my son gets quite a kick out of upsetting you. I hope that he and his friends don't give you too much trouble at Hogwarts," Mr. Potter said kindly, but with a very stern look at James. James winced. He thought of all the pranks the Marauders had pulled on Lily throughout the years. 'This conversation could go very badly,' he thought.  
  
"Of course not, Father. The Marauders make a special effort to take good care of Evans. After all, she's a Gryffindor," James answered quickly, before Lily had the opportunity to incriminate him.   
  
Lily laughed and gave James and appraising look, but did not respond to Henry Potter. Instead she stood and said, "I'll bring out dessert."  
  
Petunia, who had been silent throughout this conversation, jumped up hastily and said, "I'll help you, sister." James saw the nervous look that crossed Lily's face, and stood up to join the sisters in the kitchen. There was something about Petunia's manner that made him suspicious. By the time he entered the kitchen, the girls were standing by the counter, their backs to him, putting garnish on the custards. He stopped to listen when he heard Petunia's furious whispers and saw Lily standing rigidly straight, head held high.  
  
"We all knew you were a freak, but how did you find these other freaky people and get them involved with our father? I can't believe you have the nerve to bring others...like you... to our house. You make me sick, in there insulting that filthy boy, bringing shame on our family. If this ever gets out... good heavens, what if Vernon finds out! Why don't you just go home with his family and NEVER come back here!"  
  
All this was whispered venomously through her teeth while Petunia stared at Lily, her eyes bulging. As she finished, James, who had been too shocked to do or say anything, finally found his voice.  
  
"Don't you talk to her that way," he growled, glaring fiercely at Petunia. She turned to stare angrily back at him. James knew he shouldn't be criticizing Petunia, after all, he was a guest in the Evans' house, but he just couldn't stand by and watch someone hurt Lily.  
  
"Mind your own business, nut-case," Petunia spat as she walked out of the kitchen, carrying two custards.  
  
"Lily," James said, reaching out to put his hand on her shoulder. He couldn't see her face, but he felt her shake slightly for a second, then stiffen.  
  
"Just stay out of family business, Potter," she said quietly as she left the kitchen, avoiding eye contact.  
  
After a few seconds, James turned and quietly returned to the dining room. Lily was already seated, but Petunia was standing stuffily near her father.  
  
"May I please be excused? I have to go meet Vernon."  
  
"Already, Petunia?" Harold questioned. Seeing Petunia's obvious anger, however, he continued reluctantly, "Alright, go ahead."  
  
  
  
Petunia's pink dress was swishing around the corner before he had even finished speaking. James watched Lily sit with her hands in the lap of her green dress for a few seconds before she also asked to be excused.  
  
  
  
"I'm feeling a little sick, Dad. Could I be excused for a few minutes, just to freshen up?" she asked. Harold Evans nodded, looking concerned. James watched Lily as she left the room, then quickly stood and followed her without a word to either of the men.  
  
  
  
"Well, looks like we've been left quite alone," Henry Potter said, smiling. 


	5. A New Friend and a Secret Keeper

Disclaimer: Nothing familiar belongs to me (sucks, huh?).  
  
Chapter 5: A New Friend and a Secret Keeper  
  
Lily fled to her room, wrapped herself in her favorite purple quilt (a gift made by her mother) and began to cry. She knew it was not a good idea; crying made her face look as red as her hair, but she couldn't help herself. Petunia always had that effect on Lily. Even though she knew it was useless, a small part of Lily always wanted to believe that some day Petunia would forgive her for becoming a witch. After almost a whole summer of constant abuse, Lily's patience was wearing thin. What Petunia said had hurt.  
  
As she sobbed, curled up on her bed and leaning her head against the intricately carved wooden headboard, Lily heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Evans?"  
  
"Go...away, Potter," she said through her sobs.  
  
There was no response, so Lily assumed that James had gone back down stairs. She closed her eyes and continued to sob. When she felt someone else's weight on the bed she jumped and looked up. When she saw James sitting next to her, staring at the floor, she turned away, covering her face with a thick curtain of her red hair.  
  
"I'm not just gonna leave you here to cry," he said sadly, shifting closer to her on the bed.  
  
The sincerity in his voice surprised Lily, causing her to choke on the scathing comment that was about to shoot out of her mouth.   
  
When she did not respond, James continued carefully, "I heard what your sister said in the kitchen. That was pretty harsh."  
  
"You heard? I - I'm sorry...she insulted...you," came Lily's muffled voice.  
  
"I don't care what she said about me. I'm worried about you - please don't cry, Lily," James said earnestly. As soon as the words left his mouth, he wished he could shove them back in. 'Crap, crap, crap,' he thought as Lily turned to look at him. Of course James cared about how Lily felt, but he didn't want her to know how much he cared, and he certainly didn't want to call her Lily yet, at least not aloud.  
  
"What did you say?" Lily asked, eyes wide and face still wet with tears.  
  
"Well, um, I mean, quit cry, Evans. Don't be such a wimp," James struggled, trying desperately to back pedal.  
  
"What do know about it, Potter? I can do whatever I want. You're the one who barged into my room, unwelcome by the way, and now you want to tell me what I should be doing?" Lily spat. James could see her face contorting in anger. He knew he had to do something to stop her before she got warmed up and really started yelling.   
  
"Of course you can cry if you want to. It's just that I don't like to see you sad," James said, switching back to the sensitive approach. He gently took her hand off the quilt where it was resting. Lily pulled her hand back and turned away again, tsking under her breath, but she did not respond. James was relieved that she had at least stopped yelling.  
  
After a few seconds of silence, James began to look around her room. James new more about muggles than most wizards, but he was still fascinated with some of the strange things they used to compensate for lack of magical abilities.  
  
Lily sat quietly, taking deep breaths to calm her ragged breathing. She was quite confused by Potter's behavior. 'Why did he call me Lily?' she wondered. 'And why in the world is he being so nice?' Lily watched James as he stood up and wandered around the room, looking at pictures and poking her stuffed animals. She smiled as he picked up the hair dryer and started playing with it.  
  
"What is this thing for?" James asked, just as his finger found the power switch. A blast of hot air hit him square in the face causing him to recoil in surprise and drop the apparatus on the floor.  
  
Lily laughed as she bent down to pick the hair dryer up and turned it off.   
  
"It's a hair dryer, Potter," she said, still laughing, as she demonstrated how to use it. Lily leaned over to hand it back to him, but saw that James was staring at her, as if in shock.  
  
"Potter?"  
  
"Oh, um, yeah, so that must take forever," he said finally. In his head, he was screaming, 'She laughed. I can't believe she laughed! This is the first time I have ever heard her laugh in my presence. Ok, sure, so it was because I'm a complete idiot, but at least she laughed.' James was so pleased with the recent development that he snatched the hair dryer back and began pointing it around the room, turning on the air occasionally, like he had seen muggle men do in the movies.  
  
"Okay, James Bond. It's not a gun," Lily said with a snicker.   
  
'There it was again; her beautiful laugh!' "Bond? Umm, last time I checked, my last name was Potter," he said, looking very puzzled.  
  
"No. James Bond. Muggle movie reference," Lily replied. "He's a spy on muggle movies," she finished, looking slightly embarrassed.   
  
The room was silent for a moment as James looked at Lily, who was playing with the corner of her quilt. She was no longer crying, which made James feel very relieved. Her face was still very red, and wet with tears. James decided he better say something quick before he succumbed to the urge to wipe away her tears.  
  
"Evans?"  
  
"Hmm?" she answered, somewhat distractedly.  
  
"How 'bout being friends this year?" He kept talking, rapidly and earnestly, when Lily looked at him skeptically, " I mean, if we are going to be working together as Heads, wouldn't it be a lot easier if we got along? You know how much I enjoy your tirades, but they might make it hard for us to get much work done."  
  
He just couldn't keep the little bit of sarcasm out of his last statement. But to his surprise, Lily gave him a small smirk.  
  
"Potter, you know I wouldn't go on those tirades if you weren't such an arrogant prat all the time. What do you exp - "  
  
James cut her off, saying, "I know, but I'll try not to be. I'll even stop asking you out, if it'll mean that you'll stop being snappy all the time." He had no real intention of discontinuing the offers for dates completely, but he thought if he just toned them down a bit, she'd be happy. Remus had already told him that he needed to stop making suggestive comments to her because she really didn't seem receptive.  
  
Lily looked at him intently, as if she was gauging his sincerity. "I guess your right," she said finally, sounding defeated. "I will make an effort to be your ... friend."  
  
"Brilliant, Evans!" James said cheerfully, as he picked her up off the bed and pulled her into a tight hug. "We're gonna have a great year, I can - "  
  
"Potter, put me down!" Lily growled. "I said friends, meaning acquaintance with whom I work to complete my duties as Head Girl. There was nothing in that statement that implied that touching, of any form, is acceptable."  
  
Lily immediately regretted this statement. She hadn't meant to be harsh, and she could tell that it disappointed James. He set her down, backed away slowly and sank to the floor.  
  
The room was silent for a few second, Lily feeling guilty, and James feeling disappointed. Lily struggled desperately to think of a topic that might cheer James up.  
  
"I'm...I'm sorry about your mum." She immediately wished she hadn't spoken. 'Brilliant, Evans! That will really lighten the mood.'   
  
"Oh, um, it's okay. I'm getting use to it," James lied. He looked away.  
  
Lily, shocked by her own actions, sat on the floor next to him and put her hand on his knee. "How did she die?"  
  
"Well, umm, you see... she was in an accident," James said, clearly trying to avoid the topic.  
  
"Oh," was all Lily could think to say. She wondered what sort of accident; since the Potters were wizards he didn't mean a car accident. But, she knew that there were plenty of different ways to have magical accidents.  
  
"It gets easier," she said quietly, "though not for a long time."  
  
James looked questioningly at her, and Lily smiled sadly. "My mum died between our third and fourth years. That's why I do all the cooking and stuff around here."  
  
"I'm sorry," James said, taking her hand, which was still on his knee. To his surprise, she did not pull away.  
  
"It's alright. It did get easier, and my dad and I are much closer now," Lily replied, trying to sound relaxed.   
  
"If you ever need to talk..." she continued, but trailed off. James nodded and let go of her hand. He began to idly use the hair dryer to blow a dust bunny around in a circle on the floor. Both teens were deep in thought. Finally, Lily realized that they had been sitting in silence for too long.  
  
"Alright, 007, I guess we should go back downstairs," she said finally, standing up.  
  
"007?"  
  
"Nevermind," she replied with a smile as she opened the door, waiting for him to leave her room.  
  
::::::::::::::::  
  
"Excellent timing, James," Henry Potter said as Lily and James returned to the dining room. "I hope my son wasn't bothering you, Ms. Evans," he continued as he noticed her face, still red from crying.  
  
"Oh, no. I'm fine," Lily replied, looking embarrassed.  
  
"Well, sit down, Lily Flower. Henry was just about to tell me why he wanted to meet today, but he said you and James should be here too," her father said, nudging her regular chair at the table with his foot.  
  
Lily nodded, taking her seat, and looking expectantly at Mr. Potter. When James had settled himself as well, his father began to speak in his calm and confident voice that had impressed Lily earlier.  
  
"Well, actually, this is going to be much easier now that I know you have some experience with wizards. I thought I was going to have to explain everything, but this worked out perfect," he began, smiling at Lily, who returned his smile enthusiastically.  
  
"Lily, have you told your father anything about current events in the wizarding world?" he asked, giving her a significant look. She knew he was asking if she had told her father about Voldemort.  
  
"Well, umm, a....little," she said uncomfortably. She wasn't about to tell her father that all muggleborn witches and wizards could be in danger. What if he didn't let her go back to Hogwarts?  
  
Her father gave Henry Potter a tight smile, "You mean about this He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named fellow? I've read a bit about him." Seeing the look of surprise on Lily's face he said defensively, "Well, what did you expect? You leave all those Daily Prophets in your room, and I want to know what's going on in this world of yours."   
  
Lily smiled at her father lovingly. She was strangely reassured by his attempts to protect her, despite the fact that he could not participate in this part of her life. He smiled back and patted her hand affectionately.   
  
"So you know that he has been killing many muggleborns, as well as the Aurors that protect the magical community?" Henry continued gravely.   
  
"Yes, but what does this have to do with you?" Harold Evans asked. Lily however, was starting to have suspicions about the "accident" that killed James' mother. It would make sense, she reasoned, as the Potter family had been Aurors for generations. They were famous in the wizarding world for their dedication to the protection of all wizards and muggles. In fact, a Potter had been vital in the defeat of every dark wizard that had gained power in the last four centuries.   
  
"Mr. Potter, are you an Auror?" she asked sadly. Lily saw James, who had previously been staring sadly at his lap, snap his head up and look intently at his father.   
  
"You are quite astute, Lily," the older man told her with a sad smile. The look on his face told Lily that James was not expecting his father to admit his real profession. "I am in business with your father as a cover for my work as an Auror in muggle London. My wife was killed this summer by Voldemort's Death Eaters who were looking for me."  
  
"Dad and I weren't even there to protect her," James added bitterly. Lily could see unshed tears welling up in his eyes.  
  
Lily, looking absolutely horrified, quickly asked, "But why wasn't it in the Prophet? I've been reading all summer, and I never read about your mother." She directed this question at James, and was surprised to find that she had taken hold of his hand across the table.  
  
"I'm an Unspeakable, Lily, so my wife's death was covered up to protect my work for the Ministry," Henry Potter answered for his son. Seeing Harold Evans' confusion, he explained, "An Unspeakable means that only a few people at the Ministry of Magic know of my assignment. I report directly to the Minister of Magic."  
  
Harold Evans was shaken by all the information he had gained in the last few minutes. He didn't even know what to say, so he was relieved that his daughter seemed to know all the right questions to ask.  
  
"That means you're not safe. You have to go into hiding, if Death Eaters have already been to your house once," Lily said frantically, turning her huge and solemn eyes toward Henry Potter. She unconsciously squeezed James' hand, which caused him to smile slightly.   
  
"Not exactly. We aren't going into hiding, but we have added to the security measures around our house. In fact, that is why I asked to speak to your father," Henry said, looking across the table at Harold.  
  
Lily thought for a moment and everyone else was silent. James was looking curiously at his father, and Lily could tell that he didn't know what his father intended to ask. 'What kind of protection can my father provide?' she wondered. 'He's a muggle.' Then suddenly, Lily understood.  
  
"You need a Secret Keeper," she stated with certainty. This was the only thing her father could possibly help with, as the Secret Keeper was not required to have any magical ability.  
  
"Yes," Henry Potter answered simply.  
  
As Mr. Potter explained the concept of a Secret Keeper to her father, Lily sat quietly, contemplating this development. If her father agreed to be Secret Keeper for the Potters, he would be in serious danger. Although, she admitted to herself, her family was probably in danger anyways, simply because of her magical abilities. Many families of muggleborns had been killed throughout this summer. She knew he would agree; she had inherited her Gryffindor loyalty and bravery from her father. She removed her hand from James' and twirled a red curl around her finger. Thinking of her father here, alone, with no way to defend himself against the Death Eaters that might find him was making Lily slightly ill.  
  
Seeing her pale face, James said quietly, "Don't worry, Lily. Dumbledore would help protect your family. They'd still be safe, I'm sure." He didn't sound very sure, however.  
  
Lily gave him a short nod and a grim smile. She turned to her father, who looked up and made eye contact with her, eyebrows raised hesitantly. A look passed between them, and Lily knew he was going to accept the responsibility, but was hoping she would support his decision. She sat indecisively for a moment, her pulse racing and stomach churning with the thought of this added worry. But she knew what she had to do; she was too much like her father. Finally, Lily gave him a small nod before turning away and bursting into tears.  
  
"I'll do it," her father said firmly.   
  
Two and a half hours later, the process had been explained to Harold Evans and finally completed. The Fidelius Charm, extremely complicated even for a skilled wizard like Henry Potter, was especially difficult for James, who was required to participate, as he would also be protected. After much practice and assistance from Lily, a particularly talented Charms student, James had finally been able to perform the charm.   
  
Lily lay awake in bed that night, thoughts of this emotional night swarming through her mind. The actions of Voldemort had affected her life before, but never to such a personal extent. She wondered if she would be able to concentrate on her studies at Hogwarts when she knew that her father was in danger at home without any magical protection. She silently prayed for his security. Despite their new "friendship," James Potter's continuing safety would be small comfort if she lost her father.   
  
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_Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed the fourth chapter! Your positive comments have really made me feel good about this story! Thanks especially to Elizabeth Radcliffe, wow! Your review was awesome for my self esteem. I hope you all like this chapter too! Thanks again!_


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